The earnest prayer of a righteous person…

James 5:16 b says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” This is a wonderful prayer to pray but we can’t disregard the passage before that.

You see many people take this passage and apply it to pretty must every prayer however, when taken in context the text before that says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16a

How often do we take that first part of the passage and put it into practice? I am guilty of not always confessing my sins to my fellow believer. Recently, I did confess to several of my friends the fear I had in my heart over a situation. I hadn’t realized how fearful I was until the truth of my situation was brought to life. Many questions ran through my mind about my situation. Will God really work this out for my good? Do I trust Him enough to work out His perfect will in my life? Why am I doubting Him when I have seen Him do so much in my past? Did I really just experience what I went through? Maybe I deserve this because of something I did. Why am I so afraid?

All of these questions raced through my mind one day while talking to a sister in Christ.As I thought this to myself I realized I really needed my friend to hear me say, “I am scared and fearful please pray for me.” So with that I shared with her how I was truly feeling and how much I was afraid. I said this to her several times in our conversation, thankfully she reminded me of who God was and then she prayed for me. I was able to confess my sin of fear, doubt and worry. I was able to be honest and say I need your prayers. As a result, I am writing this blog because not to long after that the Lord reminded me of who He was and what He has done in my life. He reminded me that the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. It brings healing to the soul of the believer. The sin of unbelief was brought out and my sin was laid on the table. The truth came out I didn’t trust God to redeem my situation but in His mercy He answered the prayer of my righteous sister’s praying for me. I know that He can and does answer the prayers of those who love and obey Him. I know He does not turn His back on His children when they are seeking Him obediently.

How about you? Do have sins that need to be confessed so that you can be healed spiritually? We don’t always need a physical healing rather our hearts need to be healed from the many sins that are brought to the surface. God loves us too much to leave us in our yucky sins. He wants to answer prayer of spiritual healings. He wants to cleanse of all of our sins. I pray that you will ask the Lord to search your heart and that you will confess your sins to a trusted sister in Christ so she can pray for you. Her prayers will bring healing to a heart that needs much healing. God desires to make us into the image of His Son and He wants us to be holy as He is holy. God will come through in His healing we must trust and believe.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You have given us sisters in Christ who will go to the throne of grace for us and intercede on our behalf. Sisters who will see truth and point us towards You. Father, I pray that many will be set free from sins. I know You word is true and Your promises are real. I thank You that You don’t leave us the way You found us but that You see our brokenness and want to heal us from the inside out. Father, You are amazing! I want You to know that I love You. In Jesus Name, Amen!